Aerobics

Vietnamese aerobic athletes practise for the 33rd SEA Games which will be held in December in Thailand. — Photos dantri.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will continue to defend its No 1 position in aerobics at the 33rd SEA Games, aiming for a third consecutive title after dominating the last two editions.

The Vietnamese athletes made the entire regional community rise to their feet when they won all five gold medals available at the 32nd Games in Cambodia in 2023. They were the first ever team to secure historic results.

Earlier, they took three out of five to dominate the 31st Games in Hà Nội in 2022.

The team was in the world's top eight in 2024 and remained the sole Southeast Asian team taking part in the World Cup 2025, set to take place in April in Japan.

In the upcoming event, Thailand will organise only two events – mixed pairs and group of five – but the reigning champions are determined to sweep both.

Rising pressure, unshaken ambition

"The hosts cut all of Việt Nam's strongest events to limit our chance of taking more gold medals for the delegation," said coach Nguyễn Thị Thùy Linh.

"Two events that will be organised are Thailand's favourites and they will compete fiercely for golds against us. They have watched us and are well prepared for their highest result."

She added that the strong progress of athletes from Indonesia and Malaysia also puts heavy pressure on her defending champions.

Among these two events, Việt Nam are stronger in the group of five as the team won the world championship gold in 2022 and silver in 2024, the World Cup and Asian championship gold in 2024.

Nguyễn Chế Thanh, Hoàng Gia Bảo, Trương Ngọc Diễm Hằng, Phan Thị Uyên Nhi, and Đặng Chí Bảo are a combination of both senior and junior performers.

Việt Nam aims to win both golds in the 33rd Games.

They are putting the final touches to perfect their technique and achieve the highest accuracy and artistry in their performance, training under the slogan: "Difficulties are challenges, not obstacles."

Coach Linh said that, in addition to their skills, athletes must make the most of the competition floor during their routines. They have to move flexibly across the area, leaving no corner untouched to earn the highest points.

She added that the mix of experience from the seniors and the freshness and energy of the juniors would help Việt Nam achieve its target.

“We have practised hard for months and had pretty good results through the checked sessions as well as the recent national championship,” said world, Asian and Southeast Asian champion Thanh, who believes in a hat-trick for Việt Nam in December. — VNS